In the book Puer Zingiberi Panis, the second story has the line "Musca araneam magnam in araneum vidit."I think this means "The fly sees the large spider on the web.".Shouldn't 'araneum' be in the ablative? The previous line is 'Et oscillare incipit' The large spider is swinging on the web, would that account for the use of the accusative?

The translator of this small book seems to have reviewed his own work in Amazon.co.uk (unless I'm wrong about the identity of the reviewer) and given himself five stars. Not that the number of stars is surprising. It would have been more surprising if he had given himself fewer.

I just wrote a review and gave it one star. I don’t like that kind of foul marketing. The author also has posted negative comments on other – imo better – books complaining about them not having pictures (whereas the ones in his are butt ugly..) and instead recommends his own book. Uck.. Such people make me sick.

I thought the pictures were OK, Hampie, but he's the translator, not the author, so not responsible for the illustrations. He put into Latin an out-of-copyright (I presume) illustrated English reader from 1910. Maybe that's his brother, another B. Smith, reviewing the book. I does look dodgy, though.

For what it's worth, I really enjoy the book. I like having pictures, and lots of repetition of words and phrases so it's easy to read. I wish there were more beginner's books out there that were similar. I used the first story in the book just last week with my ten year old. He is halfway through Latina Christina II. He was pleased he was able to actually be able to read and understand the story with only minimal prompting from me. From the pictures he was able to determine which animal was being introduced with each page, and the repetition help to cement meaning behind the words and the endings.

I have purchased some of the beginner's books from Bolchazy-Carducci, but have been really disappointed. Line drawn B&W pictures, and no repetitions. My kids aren't interested in them at all, and frankly, neither am I. They just collect dust.

I thought the pictures were OK, Hampie, but he's the translator, not the author, so not responsible for the illustrations. He put into Latin an out-of-copyright (I presume) illustrated English reader from 1910. Maybe that's his brother, another B. Smith, reviewing the book. I does look dodgy, though.

jowens wrote:For what it's worth, I really enjoy the book. I like having pictures, and lots of repetition of words and phrases so it's easy to read. I wish there were more beginner's books out there that were similar. I used the first story in the book just last week with my ten year old. He is halfway through Latina Christina II. He was pleased he was able to actually be able to read and understand the story with only minimal prompting from me. From the pictures he was able to determine which animal was being introduced with each page, and the repetition help to cement meaning behind the words and the endings.

I have purchased some of the beginner's books from Bolchazy-Carducci, but have been really disappointed. Line drawn B&W pictures, and no repetitions. My kids aren't interested in them at all, and frankly, neither am I. They just collect dust.

Have you looked ad Minimus? Though it’s very very basic, it has comic style dialogues explaining roman life etc. in Latin.

Hampie wrote:The colours have bled quite alot and look very cheapishly done, but well, that’s only my point of view.

Possibly, someone (a young person) hand-painted their copy and those illustrations were used in the modern publication.Forsàn quis (juvenis) librum suum coloravit quae tabulae in editione novâ adhibuerunt.